DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31772#0203
TRAYELS IN TURKISTAN.
141
Wakhan, for tke protection of the frontier ancl the trade routes.
The ruby mines of Gharan are now being worked under the
orders of Sher Ali, the Amir of Kabul. It was said that one
large ruby the size of a pigeon’s egg, as well as some smaller
ones, were found lately and sent to the Amir. The working
of these mines appears to be attended with considerable risk
and great kardskip.
According to Shighni accounts, the family of the Shah of
Shighnan originally came from Persia, and the first arrival from
that country (said to have been between 500 and 700 years
ago) was the Shah-i-Khamosh, who was a Syud and a Fakir.
The country was at that time in the hands of the Zardushtis
(ancient Guebers—fire-worshippers), a powerful and learned
race. The Shah-i-Khamosh commenced to teach these people
the Koran. There were already at this time Musulmans
in the neighbouring country of Darwaz, and many of them
flocked into Shighnan as followers of the Shah-i-Khamosh.
In about ten years he had converted large numbers of the
people, and a religious war commenced, which ended in this
leader wresting the kingdom from Kahakah, the ruler of
Shighnan and Roshan under the Zardushtis, the seat of whose
government was then at Balkh. After tliis the teaching of the
people continued, and in ten years more all had been converted
to the Shiah form of the Muhammadan faith.
If this be true it is probable that proselytising expeditions
were sent into Wakhan and the neighbouring hill countries, and
extended their operations even to Sirikol and Kunjut, gaining
all over to the Shiah faith which they now profess. The ruins of
three forts, said by the natives to have been erected by the “Atash-
parastan ” (fire-worshippers), still exist in Wakhan : one called
141
Wakhan, for tke protection of the frontier ancl the trade routes.
The ruby mines of Gharan are now being worked under the
orders of Sher Ali, the Amir of Kabul. It was said that one
large ruby the size of a pigeon’s egg, as well as some smaller
ones, were found lately and sent to the Amir. The working
of these mines appears to be attended with considerable risk
and great kardskip.
According to Shighni accounts, the family of the Shah of
Shighnan originally came from Persia, and the first arrival from
that country (said to have been between 500 and 700 years
ago) was the Shah-i-Khamosh, who was a Syud and a Fakir.
The country was at that time in the hands of the Zardushtis
(ancient Guebers—fire-worshippers), a powerful and learned
race. The Shah-i-Khamosh commenced to teach these people
the Koran. There were already at this time Musulmans
in the neighbouring country of Darwaz, and many of them
flocked into Shighnan as followers of the Shah-i-Khamosh.
In about ten years he had converted large numbers of the
people, and a religious war commenced, which ended in this
leader wresting the kingdom from Kahakah, the ruler of
Shighnan and Roshan under the Zardushtis, the seat of whose
government was then at Balkh. After tliis the teaching of the
people continued, and in ten years more all had been converted
to the Shiah form of the Muhammadan faith.
If this be true it is probable that proselytising expeditions
were sent into Wakhan and the neighbouring hill countries, and
extended their operations even to Sirikol and Kunjut, gaining
all over to the Shiah faith which they now profess. The ruins of
three forts, said by the natives to have been erected by the “Atash-
parastan ” (fire-worshippers), still exist in Wakhan : one called